Narrow ware loom shuttle



R. c. CAPPS ETAL NARROW WARE LQOM SHUTTLE Oct. 29, 1968 Filed May 2, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvsiv'rons: RALPH c. CAPPS LOUIS "'SVCOPPE ,Qwu 73.

ATTORNEY Oct. 29, 1968 R. c. CAPPS ETAL 3,407,849

NARROW WARE LOOM SHUTTLE Filed May 2. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS= RALPH C. CAPPS LOUIS SCOPPE BY AT TORMEY United States Patent 3,407,849 NARROW WARE LOOM SHUTTLE Ralph C. Capps and Louis Scoppe, Greenwood, S.C., as-

signors to Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed May 2, 1966, Ser. No. 546,703 3 Claims. (Cl. 139-201) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rack shuttle for looms is provided having an end take-01f stationary bobbin, a take-off eye and delivery eye, and a threadway located in one arm of the shuttle between the take-off and delivery eyes. The threadway and bobbin are generally parallel but are spaced apart for maximum 'freedom of thread movement. An adjustable spring loaded restriction is provided in the threadway to afford controlled passage of thread to the delivery eye so that constant thread tension is maintained. The shuttle has a large thread capacity and is relatively free of breakage.

Summary and detailed description This invention relates to novel open-end take-ofi? shuttles for use in narrow ware looms. The invention particularly concerns improvements in thread tensioning wherein the shuttle is adapted to carry a large capacity bobbin, is easily threaded, and provides controlled thread tension between the shuttle and the article being woven so that the finished article has uniformly high quality especially as to width, selvage, etc.

A common difiiculty with conventional narrow ware shuttles involves the control of thread tension. Such control either is unreliable or the tension means is unduly elaborate. Some prior art devices are difficult to thread while others are uneconomical in construction and/or maintenance. Also, many shuttles which are otherwise satisfactory 'for the purpose are nevertheless unavoidably deficient because of the undue amount of space taken up by the tension device thereby detracting from the thread capacity of the shuttle and in many cases causing unwanted obstruction to free thread movement. Still another common disadvantage is that the tension device, especially where anchored on the shuttle at several points, causes structural weakness with consequent breakage.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide an economical shuttle with improved means for controlling thread tension.

Another object of the invention is to provide a narrow ware shuttle which has a large thread capacity and is relatively free of breakage and unwanted obstruction to thread movement.

Still another object is to provide a shuttle with improved control of thread tension which may be readily threaded and is adapted for use with various sizes of threads and may be easily serviced.

These and other objects, features and advantages will be seen from the specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing Where:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a shuttle containing a threaded bobbin illustrating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial longitudinal section of part of one arm of the shuttle illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing the tension device in greater detail;

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6 are plan views of elements in the tension device of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a partial longitudinal section of part of a shuttle arm showing a modified form of tension device having a tension guide block; and

3,407,849 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the tension guide block illustrated in FIGURE 7.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the shuttle 10 according to one embodiment of the invention includes a shuttle body 11 which in many regards is conventional being similar, for example, to the shuttle shown in Patent No. 2,381,042. The shuttle body has a base 12 optionally including a rack 13 for engagement with the loom pinions to provide reciprocatory movement of the shuttle. Extending upward from the base 12 are two arms or pillars 14 connected by a bridge 15. A take-off eye 16 is located on a central line in the midpoint of one of the pillars .14 and a delivery eye 17 is located in the midpart of the bridge 15. Removably and rigidly connected to the shuttle body is a bobbin 20 having a central axis 20a and including a quill 21 containing thread 22. The bobbin may be attached at its base 23 to the shuttle body by any suitable means permitting frequent bobbin replacement. The thread 22 in the operation of the shuttle is taken off the end of the bobbin and passed through the take-oft eye 16 to and through the tension device (generally indicated by the numeral 30), thence to and through the delivery eye 17 and finally from the delivery eye under controlled tension to the article being woven.

In its passage through the tension device the thread moves through the opening 33a and the guide channel 18 fitted with a tube guide 31. Located within the tube guide is a pressure shoe 36 which fits into an access slot or opening 34 located in the tube guide. The thread 22, in being drawn through the tube guide v31, is passed directly under the pressure shoe and out of opening 33b from which point it is then passed to the delivery eye 17.

The tube guide 31, as seen by reference to FIGURE 2, in its preferred form is a tubular piece having a generally circular cross-section with open ends 33a and 33b the edges of each of which contain a bevel 35 to permit easier threading and to minimize abrasion of thread. The tube guide can be secured into the guide channel by a friction fit or other suitable means. As seen in FIGURE 6, the tube guide 31 includes an access opening extending substantially completely through the inside dimension of the tube guide, thereby permitting the pressure shoe 36, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, to fit into the access opening 34 and to be received there to a lowermost point terminating against guide wall 32. The pressure shoe 36 in its preferred form is generally rounded in the direction of thread travel for smooth contact with the thread 22 and is formed at the other end with a head 37 which includes a recess 38 to receive a coil spring 39 as shown in FIGURE 2. The upper end of the coil spring 39 in turn receives a spindle shown as 41 in FIGURE 3, the upper portion of the spindle or spindle head 42 being provided with thread means for positionable engagement with an internally threaded bushing 40. The bushing and the pressure shoe 36 are arranged to slide within the access channel 19a so that in combination with the coil spring and the spindle head they can be moved in an axial direction to obtain any desired degree of pressure upon the thread located in the tube guide 31. When the desired pressure is obtained, the position of the combination mentioned can be adjustably set or locked by means of the set screw 43 located in the screw-set channel 1%. Then if minor adjustment of the pressure is desired, this can be accomplished by raising or lowering the position of the spindle head 42 Which conveniently may have an Allen head, as shown, or a conventional screw-slot head.

In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 7, the tension device 30 includes a guide channel 18 and an access channel 19a in the shuttle body 11. A tension guide block 31a is located, suitably by a friction fit, within the access channel. The tension guide block 31a, as shown by dotted lines in FIGURE 8, is provided with an axial cavity 190 and an intersecting lateral channel or tube guide 31. The area where these channels intersect is provided with another channel or access opening 34 which traverses the block at right angles to channels 190 and 31. The access Opening 34 is adapted to receive two complementary cylindrical rollers or pressure shoe elements 36a and 36b, equal in length to the width of the :block. In operation, the two pressure shoes fit loosely within the access opening in side-by-side contacting position with their centermost point of contact substantially on the central axis of tube guide 31. The innermost shoe 36b bears against and is held in place by guide wall 32 whereas the shoe 36a is contacted and biased toward shoe 36b by coil spring 39 located in the axial cavity 19c. The tension of the spring 39 is in turn maintained and adjustably controlled by a spindle head 42 threadably received at the end of the tension guide block 31a. As a conduit for the thread 22 and to provide for greater strength, the guide channel 18 is fitted with a circumferential guide sleeve 31b which is in line with the tube guide 31 and abuts the tension guide block 31a. In operation, the thread passes through the sleeve 31b and guide 31, being controllably restrained between shoes 36a and 36b, and is then drawn away through the delivery eye.

The tension device of the invention can be easily threaded and may be adjusted to provide the desired degree of tension for any type of thread being used with a minimum of down time, adjustment, etc. Moreover, the invention minimizes the amount of thread breakage and allows considerable freedom of thread movement, without snagging, etc. The various members of the tension device are preferably constructed of wear-resistant metal, particularly the tube guide and pressure shoe means, so as to provide maximum durability and service.

While we have described embodiments of the invention with considerable detail in the foregoing specification, it will be realized that wide variation can be made in such detail without departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a loom shuttle having at least one arm, an openend and a shuttle bridge and also having a stationary open-end bobbin, a take-off eye in said arm of the shuttle adjacent the open-end, a delivery eye at the midpart of the shuttle bridge, and a thread tension device including tube means for guided passage of thread through the shuttle body and a pressure shoe adjustably adapted to engage and exert a resilient braking pressure upon thread passing through the tube means,

the improvement wherein the tube means is substantially straight and is located in the shuttle arm between the take-off and delivery eyes on a line generally parallel to but spaced from the axis of the bobbin.

2. A loom shuttle according to claim 1 wherein the tube means and pressure shoe are constructed of wearresistant metal.

3. A loom shuttle according to claim 1 wherein the pressure shoe is adjustably tensioned 'by spring and spindle means, the relative position of the spindle means being locked by set screw means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,594,601 8/1926 Carlson 139-201 X 203,653 5/1878 Schurheck et a1. 139199 501,781 7/ 1893 Hamblin 139-216 533,709 2/1895 Hamblin 139-216 538,022 4/1895 Lapworth 139199 1,019,053 3/1912 Knight 139-201 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,621 8/ 1894 Germany. 288,442 4/1928 Great Britain. 549,287 11/ 1922 France. 563,317 9/1923 France. 611,060 6/ 1926 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

JAMES KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner. 

